Tag: Allison

Coffee = Happy day. Period. That is the main ingredient to my diet. I have to confess that there is no better way to know if the day is going well. My fun factor, laughs and concentration level is singularly determined by one little bean. I’m quite finicky about the coffee I drink and could write a book on the nonsense and seriousness of coffee beans and preparation.

In fact, there’s a cold brew in front of me now.

Over the past few years, when traveling around the world, I’ve found that there is a problem with cold or iced coffee. Coffee houses love to serve them, as they use day old or left over coffee for their iced coffees. I believe that’s why so many people don’t like the bitterness that normally comes with first sip. Coffee has a personality and can lose that when it is over-processed.

Recently, on a trip to Seattle, I was invited into one of the biggest coffee specialty roasting houses in the world to taste a few new roasts and blends that will be coming to the market next year. It was spectacular! Know how the effect of the growing climate, water, soil, temperature can affect the taste was spectacular. Growing up in the chocolate business, the cocoa bean source would be the sole basis for the flavor of the chocolate. I found this is the same with Coffee.

During the tasting, we were served an iced coffee with cream. I turned and asked the age old question, how? It seems that we’ve been doing it wrong all along. Don’t take the morning brew and pour it over ice, or take the morning brew that has been sitting on heat for hours and think you’ll get a smooth, unadulterated sip. You won’t. This seems so simple, but the result is one that may take you from a hot joe drinker to a iced cold brew aficionado. You can add cream, flavor, mint, basil or any other flavor to this. Remember, this is a concentrate and will be perfect to have in the refrigerator. Just promise me you’ll try it black the first time so you can enjoy the clean, smooth taste! And, if you’re going all in, make yourself a tray of coffee ice cubes!)

When moving to Minnesota almost 9 years ago now, I knew I was moving to a whole new part of the country with no family here. After settling into my new place, I felt like something was missing. Although we had lost our beloved family puppy years before when my daughter went to college, I never thought I would own another dog. Well, sure enough – as the story goes – I would have to think again about being dogless!

One day in January, a snowstorm was brewing and I needed to beat the storm and gather supplies. I thought I should head out to a big box store to stock up. In my new city – in my new car and with my new GPS – I got lost, very lost and ended up about 40 minutes from home. Turns out, they don’t always know where you’re going! On the route to get home, I pulled up to a light and looked to my left to see the animal shelter. What the heck? Right? It was snowing; I was going nowhere fast in the snow – so in I went. Just to ‘look’ at the cute puppies!

It was love at first sight. Riley was a 4 year old mixed breed (of many things) but looked like golden + lab mix to me. She sat in the back of her kennel, scared, skinny and looked tired. As I read her ‘card’, she had been ‘dropped’ off at the night window with no information.

I asked to see her and, as they brought her out of the kennel, I knew she would never return. She came home that day. She has been the best friend and companion since the day I brought her home. She is a quiet, gentle soul who has always been there. When my mom was sick this past year, she never left her side. She’ll go anywhere with you. She’ll walk right beside you in the rain or in the hot sun – she is always there!

Writing this blog has allowed me to remember that day so clearly. I am blessed to have turned left instead of right. I guess you never know which is the right way or what you will find, only that – if you get a chance – follow your heart. Riley has given more than she has ever asked, a million times over.